1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a device for inspecting an aircraft engine, and more particularly to a device for detecting a crack on a turbine blade of an aircraft engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Aircraft engines have many components that need to be inspected on a regular basis to ensure they are not damaged due to stress, fatigue and other external conditions. In some instances, the components of the aircraft engine may be visually inspected for damage when the aircraft is at the gate. However, in many instances, the aircraft engine needs to be disassembled and then inspected to determine if any of the components are damaged. For example, the turbine blades of an aircraft engine may have hairline cracks due to stress and fatigue but cannot be inspected without disassembling the engine, which may require several hours to complete. Only then, can an aircraft technician inspect the turbine blades visually or with specialized equipment.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a prior art turbo fan jet engine 100. The turbo fan jet engine 100 includes many components that need to be inspected, however, for purposes of this disclosure, only a few components will be identified. For example, the turbo fan jet engine 100 may include high pressure turbine blades 102, first low pressure turbine blades 104, second low pressure turbine blades 106, third low pressure turbine blades 108, a strut 110, a mixer nozzle 112 and a tail pipe 114. The turbine blades 102, 104, 106, 108 rotate around a central axis 116 for generating an air flow that is emitted from the tail pipe 114. Each turbine blade 102, 104, 106, 108 includes a leading edge 118, 120, 122, 124 and a trailing edge 126, 128, 130, 132, respectively. Each turbine blade 102, 104, 106, 108 can have a crack, which can go undetected unless the turbo fan jet engine 100 is disassembled and inspected. As shown in FIG. 1, the turbo fan jet engine 100 has many components located in a compact space, thus making the visual inspection of the turbine blades 102, 104, 106, 108 very difficult, if not impossible.
Thus, it should be appreciated that there is a need for a device for inspecting a turbine blade of an aircraft engine and detecting a crack in the turbine blade without disassembling the aircraft engine. The present invention fulfills this need as well as others.